McHenry County Blog

Thanks to Gus Philpott’s “Woodstock Advocate” for pointing me to the Seneca Township web site NoForPit opposing the Merryman gravel pit zoning.

The opponents have this update from Judge Maureen McIntyre’s courtroom:

Illinois Judge Maureen McIntyre ruled on August 19th. 2009. that the decision of the McHenry County Board on July 24th 2007, DENYING the Merryman Aggregate’s Gravel Pit permit was justified.

Therefore the decision to DENY application to Merryman for Conditional Use Permit for Gravel Mining is affirmed and the case is dismissed.

Judge McIntyre made this decision after considering the record and arguments presented, she found the decision of the McHenry County Board is NOT against the manifest weight of the evidence.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the decision of the McHenry County Board on July 24th 2007, DENYING the application for Conditional Use Permit is affirmed and the case is dismissed.

This Gravel mining operation was to be located on the property at 15613 South St., about a mile west of Woodstock city limits.

The following are NOT in support of the Gravel Pit:

• Judge McIntyre
• The McHenry County Board
• The Zoning Board of Appeals
• The 100’s of local residents
• ALL Abutting Land Owners and
• McHenry County Soil and Water and
• others.

In my article on the Seneca Township supervisor’s race, the second to involve township buildings, as Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver caught, I suggested that the Democrats had a big role in electing the man who beat Ersel Schuster.

From the comment that James C. Kagel left under the article, it seems I was wrong.

Kagel insists he is not a Democrat…or a Republican and that the Bartmans were not as helpful in his campaign as I said. Read his own words below and give him credit for knocking on 450 doors in Seneca Township. They are not as close as the 225 I knocked on in my Algonquin 7 precinct the Saturday before the election:

Number one I am NOT a Democrat or for that matter a Republican, I am an Independent and have been my whole voting life!!!

Number two John Bartman was not the backbone of my campaign! I don’t know where you got your information, but in the future verify your source,and not assume the information received is credible.

I personally went to 450 homes within the township campaigning for the Supervisor’s position.

No one contributed funds to my campaign.

The only support I received was encouragement from the concerned citizens of Seneca Township.

James C. Kagel

Kagel beat incumbent Ersel Schuster 500-216.

So, I guess that means the Democrats had no pick-up victories at the township level this year. Certainly, none were on the ballot as Democrats, as I reported election evening.

If I am wrong, I’m hoping some Democrat will set me straight.

And, while we’re talking about Seneca Township, there was a three-way race for road commissioner.

Incumbent Robert Helfers did not run for re-election.

Scott Swanson won the race with 362 votes, 51.9% of the total.

Second was Jim Kunde with 272 or 39%.

Running last was Mark Keil. He received 64 votes for 9% of those voting.

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The photographs are from the 90-person candidates’ night held before the election. Click to enlarge the photos.

When 90 people come to a candidates’ night in a two precinct township, I guess one could assume something was up.

Standing room only.

Something about renting out the township hall by incumbent Ersel Schuster.

Schuster was defeated by challenger James Kagel, a Democrat, by a preliminary vote of 500-216.

Better than 2-1.

The backbone of Kagel’s campaign was former Democratic Party Chairman John Bartman and his mother Rosemary, a Seneca Township Trustee. John Bartman was hired by the Rod Blagojevich administration to work in the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Here is something I got via email about the meeting:

A bright pink flyer was sent to 1,200 homes in Seneca Township inviting everyone to a candidates forum for the thee road commissioner candidates and the two supervisor candidates.

Latecomers among the 90 who turned out, were left literally standing out in the
hallway.

The idea for this forum was started when a group of concerned residents were having breakfast out and decided it was time to let the candidates speak for themselves and end some misinformation that had been circulating in the township.

The forum began with the road commissioners.

Each candidate talked for a minute and then turns were taken answering written questions from the audience, with each candidate responding to each question.

The supervisors went next in the same fashion.

One topic of note was the subject of renting out the town hall. Kagel felt it was a bad idea because of the liability involved.

Supervisor Schuster responded by saying that the hall was the property of the voters and renting out the facility was their right. She explained that the liability issue could be addressed with a simple document that is easily created.
Schuster pointed out that the new addition was completed without any debt or tax increases.

The parking lot was filled beyond capacity and everyone was cordial.

Not much. If anyone would like to fill me in on the issues of the campaign, feel free.

Schuster also serves on the McHenry County Board, having been elected last fall.

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The head shot is of Ersel Schuster.

Successful citizen uprisings have a long history in McHenry County.

Tuesday, two more groups won big victories for their neighborhoods.

Nunda Neighbors, who first fought off a truck depot, now have won a 17-6 zoning victory against those developers who wished to turn their residential area into a strip mall.

Located west of Woodstock, Seneca Township homeowners saw a gravel pit go down to defeat 19-4.

Both had neighborhood sign campaigns and web sites.
(Seneca Township;
Nunda Neighbors.)

As Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver pointed out, four of the six votes against what the local people wanted came from the same people:

• County Board Chairman Ken Koehler of Crystal Lake
• Marc Munaretto of Algonquin,
• Mary Lou Zierer, who lives between Marengo and Harvard and
• Dan Shea of Fox River Grove

The two extra, who ignored the Nunda Neighbors’ pleas were

• Sue Draffkorn of Wonder Lake and
• Lyn Orphal of Crystal Lake.

All of the county board members voting in opposition to the local residents pleas are Republican.

It is pretty extraordinary for a county board chairman to be on the losing side of issues. I have not been keeping track, but, besides these zoning issues, Crystal Lake’s Koehler has been in the minority

• on the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax fight,
• banning flash photography and
• the attempt to spend $773,000 more on renovating the old State Farm Insurance building on Route 14 into an animal control shelter.

= = = = =
The head shot is of McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Successful citizen uprisings have a long history in McHenry County.

Tuesday, two more groups won big victories for their neighborhoods.

Nunda Neighbors, who first fought off a truck depot, now have won a 17-6 zoning victory against those developers who wished to turn their residential area into a strip mall.

Located west of Woodstock, Seneca Township homeowners saw a gravel pit go down to defeat 19-4.

Both had neighborhood sign campaigns and web sites.
(Seneca Township;
Nunda Neighbors.)

As Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver pointed out, four of the six votes against what the local people wanted came from the same people:

• County Board Chairman Ken Koehler of Crystal Lake
• Marc Munaretto of Algonquin,
• Mary Lou Zierer, who lives between Marengo and Harvard and
• Dan Shea of Fox River Grove

The two extra, who ignored the Nunda Neighbors’ pleas were

• Sue Draffkorn of Wonder Lake and
• Lyn Orphal of Crystal Lake.

All of the county board members voting in opposition to the local residents pleas are Republican.

It is pretty extraordinary for a county board chairman to be on the losing side of issues. I have not been keeping track, but, besides these zoning issues, Crystal Lake’s Koehler has been in the minority

• on the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax fight,
• banning flash photography and
• the attempt to spend $773,000 more on renovating the old State Farm Insurance building on Route 14 into an animal control shelter.

= = = = =
The head shot is of McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.